Pride and pomp

On the train en route to Boston, my little one slept peacefully with his legs resting on my lap. He was a bit restless early on in the train ride because we woke up an hour and a half early to catch our train, but here we were, headed to my ten year college reunion.

Ah, how the time flies!

This week I realized what it means to be proud. A proud parent I mean. There is nothing like the pride you feel for your child. Back in the days when I was a college student, I buried my head in the sand when I saw my father sporting a Class of 2002 pin. Soon after, to my further ambarrasment, He moved it from the t-shirt it was pinned onto, strategically placing the pin on the outside of his jacket so that it would show on a cold, wet New England day. How I would cringe to hear my parents say the same story to my friends for the umpteenth time.

Now and only now do I realize that I have become the crazy one, wanting to extoll the virtues about my little one — but without causing any Nazar, or in other words, not inviting the evil eye.

Such a tough line to tread. We tease our parents for talking about all the amazing stuff they think we did, which to us all seems silly and small, and now I have turned into them

Case in point (if you have seen me at reunion so far it is ok, you can probably avoid this part of the story… . . . . This crazed mom has probably already told it to you?

Anyway, when I went this Wednesday to pick L up from day care, I entered the room to find him cuddling his teacher with his head resting on her shoulder. Apparently he had quite the morning, which I learned from his teacher’s update that followed.

Little L had been sitting at circle time early on in the day and Ms. Sheena asked him what sound a cat makes.

“Meee-owww,” said my little one.Ms. Sheena was so surprised that L knew his animal sounds that she picked him up and gave him a big hug. “great job, L_____,” she exclaimed.

In turn, he just looked at her, as if to say, “Ms. Sheena, why the big deal? I do this kind of stuff all the time.” He proceeded to show her all the other animal sounds he knew. (that’s my boy.)

So to make this short story a little longer, Ms. Sheena then added a little cream to my proverbial coffee. “I have to tell you,” she remarked, “L was the star of circle time.”

The star of circle time, I thought. What an accomplishment! My son, the star of circle time

We now tell this story to everyone we meet.

For all I know L could go on to great things, or have troubles, but to me he will always be the star of circle time. I will embarrass him, make him turn absolutely red in the face when I tell this story to his prom date fifteen years from now. I can just see myself doing it, his prom date standing nervously as we take pictures with zeal. “You don’t understand your luck, dear, I mean, this young gentleman was the star of circle time!”. . . .Or, don’t worry about not getting into the school of your choice, L, you were the star of circle time! . . . Or, seriously, you expect me to be impressed with . . . . Well, you get the idea. Oh well, better take out the Nazar before it is too late.

How those words from L’s teacher have struck me. Immediately it changed the way I approached patients in the office. It reminded me that patients hang on your every word. I get an inkling of it when patients get cell phone calls in the middle of appointments and communicate updates on their children. When I am giving good news about growth and development, I stay excited and animated. Correspondingly, as I know I have to give bad news at times, I plan to keep it serious but gentle, because what you say and how you say it really changes the day of the listener, doesn’t it!

In any case we are soon headed back into town for the next part of my class reunion. L is napping for now, but it will be so much fun to introduce him to all the children I have heard so much about. Such an amazing thing to share parenthood with one’s friends, and to see their little children. What a joy. And as for those of you who mentioned last night that you have been reading my blog, well, thank you so much for reading it! It means the world to me. See you in a few hours!